


the very best is yet to come

by wafflesofdoom



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Established Relationship, M/M, New Year's Fluff, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-01
Packaged: 2018-09-14 00:55:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9149713
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wafflesofdoom/pseuds/wafflesofdoom
Summary: aaron and robert spend the first morning of the new year curled up in bed, until robert decides that they need to take advantage of a sunny january 1st and go for a wintery walk around the village.or, aaron and robert have a relaxing start to their 2017.





	

Robert’s mouth was dry as he woke up, the lingering taste of the tequila shots they’d done the previous evening as the clock had ticked over to midnight, signalling the start of a new year, turning his stomach slightly. 

He was getting too old to be doing shots, Robert decided. A quiet pint and a cheers was going to be the way to celebrate next New Year’s Eve, no letting a wine happy Victoria convince them they needed to see in the New Year like a gaggle of teenagers.

Stretching out languidly, Robert turned over, a warm smile spreading across his face as he looked at a still sleeping Aaron, his fiancé curled on his side, snoring softly. Aaron claimed he didn’t snore, and most of the time he didn’t, but get a few drinks into him and he was like a bloody tractor.

If Robert wasn’t drunk as well, it drove him mental - Aaron had nearly kicked him out the time Robert had punched him in the side and told him to quit snoring. 

Reaching out, Robert wrapped an arm around Aaron’s waist, resting his chin on Aaron’s shoulder. It took a few seconds for him to get a reaction, but as Robert’s hands wandered under the material of the t-shirt Aaron was sleeping in, his fingers tracing patterns across Aaron’s stomach, his fiancé gave a grumble. 

“G’way.”

“Happy New Year.” Robert responded, pressing a kiss to the skin under Aaron’s ear. The action softened a grumpy Aaron almost immediately, making him relax against Robert’s body. 

Aaron covered Robert’s hand with his own, rubbing his thumb across Robert’s wrist. “Happy New Year.” He replied, his voice soft and heavy with sleep, making it sound more hoarse than usual. 

“It’s going to be our best one yet.” Robert murmured, happy to do nothing more than lie with Aaron, the bustle and the noise of the pub little more than background noise to their picture perfect morning.

“Soft.” Aaron replied affectionately, his breathing slow, and even. 

Robert sometimes still marvelled at how solid, and real Aaron was. He spent so long wishing he could have the real thing with Aaron, give them a real go, and to have him like this now, knowing he never deserved to be let back in to Aaron’s heart, it was astounding.

Every single second he got with Aaron made all the pain, and the anger worth it. To get to hold him like this, like they were the only two people in the world, it was the best kind of happiness Robert had felt in his thirty years of life.

“We should probably get up.” Aaron mumbled, not making so much as an effort to move from where they were lying.

“Mm.” 

“Mum’ll want a hand getting ready for New Years lunch.” Aaron continued, sounding more like he was trying to convince himself to get out of bed. “You now my lot, they’ll arrive hungry and hungover.”

“Vic and Marlon are cooking.” Robert countered. “We’d just be in the way.”

“You’re always in the way.”

“Oi, cheeky.” Robert pinched his thigh with his free hand, earning a snort of laughter from Aaron.

That might just be his favourite sound in the world.

“You love it.” 

“I do.” Robert confirmed, nuzzling his face into the crook of Aaron’s neck. It had taken a while for them to be like this, but Robert loved that Aaron never pulled away from any sort of affection these days, letting Robert be as clingy as he wanted to be. 

And Robert was _spectacularly_ clingy when he wanted to be.

“Always thought New Years was a load of faff.” Aaron admitted after a couple of minutes silence, still facing away from Robert. His hand stilled on Robert’s wrist. “Looking forward to this year though.”

“I am too.” Robert agreed, holding tighter to Aaron. “We’re getting married this year.”

“You should be so lucky.”

Robert laughed. “You’ve already agreed to marry me, you dolt.” 

“I could definitely back out though.” 

“You wouldn’t.” 

Aaron shifted against Robert, twisting in his arms so he was facing him properly, lying back on his pillow. “I wouldn’t.” He confirmed, giving Robert an expectant look, Robert giving him exactly what he wanted in a matter of seconds, kissing him softly.

Aaron pulled away with a grimace. “You taste like death, Robert.”

“I think it’s the tequila, from last night.” Robert admitted, intertwining their fingers loosely, rubbing a finger against Aaron’s engagement ring, still in awe that it was there. 

“Yeah, whatever it is you can brush your teeth before you put that gob of yours near mine again.”

Robert breathed heavily against Aaron’s face, a smirk on his face. “What, you not a fan?”  


Aaron shoved his face away, rolling his eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

“It’s all part of the charm, Dingle.” Robert replied, knowing he wasn’t going to get anywhere until he actually went and brushed his teeth. Padding down the hallway, Robert winced at the feeling of the cold tiles against his feet as he grabbed his toothbrush from the sink. 

It was odd, how much the Woolpack felt like home these days. The tiny bathroom he shared with five other people, Charity’s hairspray on the shelf next to his face-wash, the noise from downstairs a comfort rather than an annoyance these days. 

Robert was genuinely going to miss it when they moved into the Mill. Not enough to stop him from leaving, but enough that he’d probably agree to calling around for tea with Aaron more often than strictly necessary.

Imagine that, Robert Sugden a part of the furniture at the Woolpack. Wonders would never cease, would they?

Slotting his toothbrush back in the stand, Robert headed back down the hallway, flopping down next to Aaron again. “Better?” He asked, tilting his chin up toward Aaron’s mouth.

Aaron kissed him briefly, nodding. “Better.” He confirmed, wrapping an arm around Robert’s shoulders, pulling him close.   


Robert curled up against Aaron, slotting his thigh between his fiancé’s. 

“Love you.”

Robert’s heart still skipped a bloody beat when he heard those words from Aaron - the little breathy mumbles that meant the world. 

“Love you too.” Robert replied, kissing him softly. “Let’s go out for a walk.”

“What?”

“A walk, Aaron. You know the thing where you put one foot in front of the other and go places?”

“Haha.” Aaron said dryly. “Why d’you want to go for a walk?”

“Because it’s a really lovely sunny day, and it’s the first day of the new year, and I’d quite like to go for a walk and have you to myself for a while.” Robert said, detangling himself from Aaron and standing up.

“Seriously, you want to go for a walk instead of spending the morning in bed with me?”  


“You’re too hungover to have sex, you made that very clear on Boxing Day.” Robert said, rooting in their wardrobe for some clean clothes.

“Ugh, why did you actually have to listen to me?”

“I’m trying to be a better fiancé, thanks very much.” Robert said, chucking some jeans at Aaron’s head. “Come on, up and at ‘em.”

Aaron muttered something under his breath, but relented, getting out of bed, tugging his jeans on. “Its freezing out.” He commented, picking up a jumper from the bedroom floor, deciding it was clean enough to wear again.

“Put a hat on then.” Robert shrugged, buttoning up his shirt, yanking a jumper on over his head. It was a beautifully sunny morning in Emmerdale, but there was no doubt it was freezing - the Christmas snowfall had only melted a day or two previously, and it had left the village feeling damp and ice cold. 

Still, the sunny morning was enough to make Robert want to venture out into the cold. The farmer in him, he supposed - he’d grown up with Jack Sugden, who had always been adamant that the slightest bit of sun was there to be taken advantage of. 

_Best not to let the day go to waste, Robert._

They headed downstairs in silence, Aaron putting a hand on Robert’s wrist when he went to open the door to the backroom. 

“We’ll get roped in to something if you go in.” Aaron pointed out, passing Robert his coat. “So unless you want to listen to mum barking orders at you because she’s stressing over having fifteen people over for lunch, I’d pick the other door.”

“My saviour.” Robert declared dramatically, winding a scarf around his neck before he opened the front door. 

“Twat.” Aaron said affectionately, pulling his beanie hat down over his ears as they stepped out into the quiet village. 

Robert always liked Emmerdale best when it was like this, calm and quiet and free of hustle and bustle. They were the sort of moments where he appreciated just how beautiful the village he’d grown up in was. Robert had lived a lot of places in his life, big cities like London and Manchester, but something about the countryside always drew him back.

Supposed it was why he let Chrissie win the fight over moving into Home Farm, really. 

They’d only been walking a few minutes when Aaron piped up. 

“It’s freezing.” 

“Yeah, but it’s nice.” Robert nudged, the two of them strolling along one of the narrow country lanes near Emmerdale. “Peaceful and that.”

Aaron scrunched his nose up at Robert’s comment, not quite agreeing.

“Is it bad to want to spend some time with you? Just you?” 

Aaron’s face softened. “No, suppose not.”

Robert kissed him softly, grabbing Aaron’s chin in his hand. “I cannot wait until we move into Mill.”

“It’s not technically ours yet.” Aaron pointed out, clearly thinking of the endless solicitors meetings and bank meetings they had organised over the next couple of weeks, and that was even before the started to meet with contractors and builders so they could start the renovations.

“But it’s going to be ours, and that’s enough for me.” Robert shrugged. “I want a bigger bed, just so you know.”

“So you can make sure you stay as far away from me as possible?”

“Obviously.” Robert grinned, looking ahead to the most gorgeous view. The sun was low in the sky that afternoon, golden light shining across the rolling green fields of the village. “Stop a second, I want to take a picture.”

“Of the fields?” Aaron raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but with you in it.”

“Oh, fuck off Robert.”

“Come on, am I not allowed to want a nice picture of my gorgeous fiancé? I need a new screensaver!”

“You’ve got a screensaver of us!”  


“And it only took me about six months to take it.” Robert retorted. “Stand there and don’t look so grumpy.”

Aaron pulled a face and kept walking, making Robert laugh. It was still the perfect picture though, Aaron’s black clad form a stark contract to the sunny January background.

“I’m going to leave you here if you don’t hurry on, my hands are bloody freezing.” 

Robert shoved his phone in his pocket, jogging slightly to catch up with Aaron. He bumped his hand against Aaron’s, his fiancé unclenching his fist so Robert could link their fingers together, the two of them walking hand in hand as they headed back toward the village.

“Lisa’s making that pudding you loved so much at Christmas.” Aaron offered, rolling his eyes at Robert when he tried to swing their hands in the air between them. 

“Good, I’m going to eat the entire thing.” Robert said happily, already excited for dessert. He’d gone for third helpings at Christmas dinner, and it had been worth the sarky comment from Cain about him being a fatass.

“It’s going to be mental when we get back.”

“Mm, a pints on the cards then?” 

“At least eight. Maybe more.” Aaron said. “They’ll be at ours all night, no escaping like we did on Christmas Day.”

“I have no issues with abandoning your family and locking ourselves in our room, if you’re game.” Robert said, deadly serious. 

“Mum’ll kick the door in.” Aaron shrugged. “Could go for another walk though.”

Robert smiled, giving Aaron’s hand a squeeze. “That’ll get me through dinner with your lot.”

“Eh, they’re your lot now too, don’t think you’re so special Sugden.”

Before they could continue their conversation, a bright greeting from Leyla drew their attention. “Happy New Year boys!” She called, heading toward the Barton’s cottage. “Let me know when you want to start planning the wedding.”

“As if we’re letting her plan the wedding.”  


“Happy New Year!” Robert called out over Aaron, giving Leyla one of his smarmy, smug Robert Sugden smiles. “And of course she’s not planning our wedding, you do remember the flowers she had picked out for mine and Chrissie’s wedding? She’s got _no_ taste.”

“How did you ever convince people you were straight?” 

“Haha.” Robert rolled his eyes, tugging Aaron by the hand so he was flush against Robert’s body. “I love you, Aaron.”

“Love you too, soft lad.” Aaron responded, letting Robert kiss him softly. He was the master of ducking Robert’s lips in public, so this was new, and it was good, and Robert wasn’t going to complain one bit. 

If 2017 was going to be as good as the first afternoon of it implied, well, there was no doubt it was going to be the best year of Robert’s entire life.

Robert looked at Aaron, his cheeks flush from the cold and his beanie hat tugged down around his ears, his fiancé giving him such an open, sincere look, and Robert’s heart did that thing where it somehow skipped a beat and started to beat ten times faster all at once.

The best was definitely yet to come. 

 

 

 

 

**fin.**

**Author's Note:**

> the most pointless new year's fluff i could muster. i hope you enjoyed, and happy new year to you all - i hope 2017 is your best one yet.


End file.
